Feeder for blank sheets



Wm, 19, 1933 s. J. CAMPBELL FEEDER FOR BLANK SHEETS Filed April 4, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. J J, ATTORNEY,

Fig.3.

Dec. 19, 1933.

S. J. CAMPBELL FEEDER FOR BLANK SHEETS Filed April 4,1932

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" FEEDER FOR BLANK SHEETS Samuel J. Campbell, Green Bay, Wis. Application April 4, 1932. Serial No. 602,901

Y 3 Claims. (01. 271-44) l The feeder of the present invention is designed for use in association with any form of mechanism, such as a punch press,ydie or the'like, to which it is necessary to feed. blanks in timedorder from a stack, and the present mechanism relates particularly to the means provided for maintain-j bar which-regulates the space afforded for feed-' mg forward the lowermost blank, to the mechanism foroperating the slide plate which carries forward the selected blankand presents it to the feeding rollers, and to the various mechanisms for operating the parts in properly timed relation to one another.

Further objects anddetails will appear from the description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the feed mechanism of the present invention; V Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken online 2-2 of Fi 1; l a

Fig. 3 is a View, partly in section, of the feed rollers, takenon line 3-3 of Fig. l; i

1 Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken on line 4-4 of Fig.1;and

5 is a detail showing the tapered screw adjustment for the blade which engages the blank tobe fed from the stack. l i j The feeding mechanism of the'present invention is shown as associated with a die press for forming paperplates or the like, which comprises a main frame l0,providedwith a bed 11, which carries a female die 12 which cd-acts with a male #0 die 13 operable between standards 14 and carrying a rack 15 which meshes witha spur pinion 16 carried by a shaft 17 journalled within a racket l8 outstanding from one of the standards 14 as best shown in Fig. 2 to impart forwardand reverse rotation to the shaft 17. Of course it will be understood that the machine above described servedmerely as an exemplification of a suitable form of mechanism with which the feeding device of the presentinvention may be suitably associated. l r p The blanks to be'fedto the die press or other mechanism arestacked in the form of oblique column le'and are maintained in position within a guide hopper comprising side plates 20 and a forward plate 21, the latter extending'obliquely above the slide plate.

upward-and in reverseldirection to the forward movement of thelowermo'st blank of the column which rests upon a reciprocating slide plate 22 which occupies a position slightly below the lowermost lipor edge of the obliquely disposed plate 21 between which and the slide plate is a narrow space which," as shown, is of sufficient width to 0 permit theprojection thereunder of the twolowermost blanks of the column.

Immediately in advance of the slot thus af-.

forded is located an adjustable gate bar 23 which presents its bevelededge 24 below the edge of the oblique plate 21 and in position to engage and prevent the advance of all but the lowermost sheet of the stack. 'lhegate bar 23 is'provided with slots 25 through which are entered locking screws 26 which are threaded intothe cross bar 27 constitutinga portion of the frame'of the machine. An adjustment is effected by means of adjusting screws 28 which bear against the upper edge of ried thereby will be positively deliveredinto the biteof the rollers 29-30.

The guide 32 is suitably mountedupon brackets 33 which constitute a portion of the .frame of the machine and the slide plate at its rear edge is providedwith a vertically adjustable block 34 which is beveled at its forward edge to receive a sharp blade 35 which stands obliquely and projects upwardly above the forward edge of the block and to ajsufficient degree to engage the rear 05 edge of the lowermost blank of the stackcarried The vertical i adjustment of the block 34 is effected by means of a pair of tapered wedges 36 and locking screws S'Iwhich arrangement permitsthe blade 35 to be accu- -rately adjusted withrespect-to the thicknessof the blanksbeing fed so that in each case onlythe lowermost blank will be fed from the stack. In order to provide for the mounting of the block 84 whichcarrie's blade 35, the rear end37 of the upper edge of the blade 35' slightlyabove the said 110.

plane as is required to engage the lowermost blank of the stack.

The rollers 29 and 30 are carried by spindles 38 and 39 respectively, journalled within the standards 40 which constitute a portion of the frame, and the spindles 38 and 39 carry intermeshing spur gears 41 and 42, respectively, for drivingrthe rollers in unison. The spindle 39 carries a spur gear 43 meshing with a driving spur gear is on a drive shaft 45 which is given intermittent forward feeding movements through the medium of a dog 45 pivoted on a loosely mounted disk 45 and coacting with a ratchet 45 ward and reverse oscillations by a sprocket 46 driven by a sprocket chain 4'7, which latter passes l over a sprocket 48 on the shaft 17, which is oscillated by the reciprocations of the die press acting through the rack 15 and spur pinion 16. The power transmission elements thus far described impart intermittent forward feeding movements to the rollers 29 and 30 in timed relation to the movements of the parts.

In order to operate the slide plate 22 in timed relation with the mechanisms last described, the shaft 45 is provided'with a sprocket 49 which co-acts with a sprocket 50 through the medium of a sprocket chain to drive a pinion 51 on a stubshaft 52, which pinion meshes with a pinion 53 on a counter-shaft 54 which carries a disc 55 upon whichris mounted a crank pin 56, which pivots a link 57, having its forward end pivoted to a tongue 58, depending from the slide plate 22, the arrangement being such as to impart to the slide platea range of feeding and return movement sufficient on each throw to carry forward the lowermost blank in position to be caught within the bite of the rollers 29 and 30.

of exemplification and that any suitable form of power transmission adapted to impart to the working elements the necessary movements in proper timed relation, can be employed and that the invention has not been limited to the particular transmission mechanism above described.

In operation, the feeding movements will, of necessity, take place in alternation to the movements of the die punch or instrumentality which acts upon the blanks when delivered and in properly'timed relation thereto. With the parts in the position shown, and with the male die on its upward movement, and with the slide plate in its rearmost position, the lowermost blank of the stack will be engaged in position for forward advancement during the remainder of the upward movement of the movable die or other instrumentality and during the continuance of such upward movement, the rollers 29 and 30 will rotate in a direction to feed the blank forwardly and into a position immediately above the female die 12. During this period of the operation, the slide plate will have a forward movement imparted to it through the action of the crank 56 and the link 57 and this will-cause the blade 35 to engage the rear edge of the lowermost blank which will be forced beneath the lower beveled edge of the bar 23 and into the bite of the rollers, the lowermost of which is recessed or channelled in'its center to afford clearance for the forward movement of the slide plate.

The obliquely disposed plate 21 serves to hold the blanks composing the stack in stepped relation to one another so that on each forward reciprocation, as the lowermost blank is fed forward, the blank immediately above will be forced forwardly into contact with the oblique edge of the gate bar and stopped in that position in preparation for its forward advancement on the next feeding movement of the slide bar. By a proper adjustment of the gate bar, in conjunction with an equivalent adjustment of the feeding blade 35, provision can be made for permitting the escape on each reciprocation of the slide plate of the lowermost blank of the stackwith a retention of the remaining blanks in the stack in position for feeding singly during succeeding operations of the slide plate.

The mechanism is one which aifords positive means for feeding blanks singly and the adjustments can be accurately made to accommodate very thin blanks which, however, are-of sufficient stiffness to be fed by a thrust from the rear in the manner described.

Although the invention has been described with'particularity as to detail, it is not the intention to limit the invention strictly to the features described since variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. v r

I claim:- r

1. In mechanism for feedi g blanks, the'combination of upper and lower feed rolls, the lower roll being grooved at its center, a slide plate having its upper surface in a plane extending through the bite of the rolls and of a size to permit it to enter the grooved portion of the lower roll, means for reciprocating the slide plate and an adjustable blade carried by the slide plate and adapted to engage the rear edge of a blank'lying thereon, an obliquely disposed plate having it'slower edge located slightly above the slide plate and adapted to permit blanks to be fed thereunder, and an adjustable unyielding gate bar mounted on a rigid portion of the structure independently of the obliquely disposed plate andhaving its lower edge projected below and in advance of the lower edge of the obliquely disposed plate in position to prevent escape ofblanks above the lowermost blank. i

2. In mechanism for feeding blanks, the combination of upper and lower feed rolls, the lower roll being grooved at its center, a slide plate haventer the grooved portion of the lower roll, means for reciprocating the slide plate, a member carried by the slide plate and adjustable to varying degrees of projection above the slideplate and adapted to engage the rear edge of the lowermost blank lying thereon, an obliquely disposed plate having its lower edge elevated slightly above the slide plate and adapted to hold the forward edges of a column of blanks in oblique stepped relation to one another and elevated to permit feeding thereunder of the two lowermost blanks, and an unyielding gate bar mounted upon a rigid portion 'of the structure independently of the obliquely disposed plate and vertically adjustable to present its lower .edge below and in advance of the lower edge of the obliquely disposed plate in position to prevent escape of the blank above the lowermost blank. 7

3. In mechanism for feeding blanks, the combination of upper and lower feed rolls, the lower roll beinggrooved at its center, a slide plate having its upper surface in a plane extending through the bite of the rolls and of a size to permit it to enter the grooved portion of the lower roll, means forreciprocating the slide plate, a member car of the'obliquely disposed plate, the lower edge of the gate bar being upwardly and forwardlybeveled to present aknife edge below the obliquely disposed plate in position to prevent escape of the blank above the lowermost blank, and a frame bar rigidly carried by the frame structure of the machine independently of the obliquely disposed plate upon which frame bar the gate bar is adjustably mounted to permit vertical adjustment of its acting edge.

, SAMUEL J. CAMPBELL.

no v

LAG 

